By LILY KAPLAN
It is no surprise that the girls varsity volleyball team has worked hard to be where they are today.
This year, the team is composed of one freshman, seven sophomores, two juniors, and three seniors. There are six more sophomores than there were last year.
Their tryouts took place over the course of three days in early August, and cuts were made every day.
“Since tryouts were pretty early,” senior middle hitter Gabby Hardy explained, “I tried to get a lot of sleep and stay hydrated so I am ready for each day.”
Hardy has been playing volleyball at QO for three years: one on JV and the other two on varsity. As one of the seniors on the team, Hardy hopes to solidify some of her skills and hopefully lead the team to win some playoff games.
Hardy shares a common goal with some of her other teammates. Junior libero Sofia Bolanos says that she “hopes to end with a better record for the volleyball team than last year.”
“And I hope to be closer to my teammates,” she added.
The team’s first game was against Poolesville, and the Cougars had a fantastic win of 3-0. However, the second game ended with a loss against Walter Johnson. With this loss, the girls are committed to becoming the best team they can be. Sophomore middle hitter Faith Ukiteyedi claims that going forward, the team needs to “work on our serve receive and get stronger at it.”
Ukiteyedi, along with Bolanos and Hardy, believes that working together as a team and practicing hard will ultimately be what they need to have a successful season. “We plan on putting in extra work even when off the court,” she said. “Focusing on our mental well-being as a team and staying positive. We will also continue to have intense and challenging practices.”
The fall season surely isn’t over yet. The girls continue to train hard in order to reach their common goal: a successful season. Their next game is on Monday, October 9 at Winston Churchill High School.
October 2023
The Prowler 